Kōya, Mount

Kōya, Mount, Japanese Kōya-san,
sacred mountain in west-central Honshu, Japan, most notable for its association with Kūkai (774–835), the founder of Shingon, an esoteric sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is located in the northeastern corner of present-day Wakayama prefecture, on the mountainous spine of the Kii Peninsula.

Mount Kōya was traditionally said to be several days’ journey on foot from Kyōto to the north. After studying Tantric Buddhism in China for two years (804–806), Kūkai (known posthumously as Kōbō Daishi) returned to his native Japan intent on promoting Shingon (a branch of Vajrayana, or Tantrism). Eventually he was allowed to ... (100 of 485 words)